Natalie Glucklich of KETV did an exemplary job of covering this story, revealing details left out of both the Iowa Civil Rights Commission press release and the Des Moines Register's account of the outrageous behavior of the Edina, Minnesota property management company involved, New Life Multi-Family Management, LLCwhich evidently did not return KETV's calls to its number (952-831-0866.)
This is totally understandable. No amount of PR glibness could possibly excuse what this firm did to the couple who sued, if the company's actions were even close to what was alleged in court. (The jury, which ruled unanimously, must have found the accusations both credible and compelling.)
Maintenance man Allen Emert of the Sherwood Forest Estates in Council Bluffs, IA wasn't merely accused of the antigay slurs enumerated in the Iowa Civil Rights Commission press release (queer, fag, pillow biter and butt pirate) — the actual lawsuit accused him of threatening to beat one of the two with a lead pipe, presumably to death judging from KETV's televised pull quotes.
Also, the couple didn't just leave when New Life repeatedly refused to act on their complaints — they (the victims) lost a deposit and a month's rent and were kicked out with three days' notice by "clear and present danger" eviction proceedings.
No wonder they were awarded $147,000 — the jury must have been as appalled as AKSARBENT was.
Good thing for the couple that this happened in Iowa. Omaha's LGBT ordinance doesn't cover housing. The new mayor, Jean Stothert, refused to support even the limited protections that gay Omahans now have.
Below is video which KETV has made available (and embeddable!) on YouTube, but you can also read the posted story if you view the video on their web site here.
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